Glasses
by LatteFoam
Summary: Being the new kid is never easy, but May is determined to knock her class' socks off during her first Show N' Tell. When things goes south, it's up to Ash to help her feel welcome. Advanceshipping SatoHaru AAMayL


"Alright everyone, settle down!"

Frigid winter air surrounded the Kanto Pokemon Academy as a bell loudly rung across the halls, signifying the change in periods. Brock Harrison, the teacher of the school's second grade class, was busy ushering his students back in from their lunch hour. Any breaks between classes served to break the children's willingness to listen though, groups standing around the room continuing their mealtime conversations. The spiky haired man crossed his arms as no heed was paid to his request.

"I guess we can all stand around and talk instead of show and tell... It's a shame though. I know how excited everyone usually gets for this."

A collective gasp sounded through the class as the remaining children scrambled to their seats, the subtle threat enough to subdue any acts of rebellion. Brock felt himself smirk before closing the class door and walking to the front of the room. There was no way he'd take away his class' favorite activity, but it sure was fun dangling the idea as bait each month.

Meanwhile, excited murmurs filled the room as everyone dragged out their possessions. The competitive air surrounding the event rivaled that of any big name sport, especially being the first one after winter break. Everyone was ready to brag about the shiny new toys or latest electronic gadget they'd secured during the holidays. Those who managed to steal the hearts of the others practically became royalty for the week as every kid would do whatever they could to play with their belongings. Namely by forgoing their desserts during lunch period.

"Alright!" Brock called out as he spun around to face the students, bringing his hands together with a resounding clap. "So, who wants to start us off this week?"

Hands immediately shot into the air as every child tried to attract their teacher's attention, shouts of "Ooh, ooh!" and "Me, Mr. Harrison!" bouncing off the walls. Brock slowly scanned the room with amusement as he decided who would get the coveted spot. Deciding to play up the suspense, he began tapping his chin with a fake look of concentration. The following string of exasperated groans cracked his facade as the Pewter City native struggled to keep the smile off his face.

Finally, his gaze fell on sparkling orbs of sapphire.

"Ms. Maple? How about you?"

May felt the biggest grin cover her face as she raced to Brock's side, leaving a trail of disappointed whines in her wake. This would be the girl's first showing after transferring to the school a few weeks prior, and she was determined to make a good impression.

Brock felt himself chuckle as he watched the brunette fix him with an expectant look, all the while fidgeting with the show stopping novelty behind her back. "Alright, alright. Let me just grab a chair." Seating himself a few feet from the Hoenn native, Brock crossed his arms before shooting her a smile. "So, what did you want to tell us about today?"

Forcing her body to stop wiggling, May turned to her classmates. A mischievous glint lit up her eyes as she drank in their excited stares. The center of attention was her home, and feeling her commanding grasp on their other children only made her grin grow larger. Deciding she had kept her audience on the edge of their seats for long enough, the girl brought her hands from behind her back. The left went to rest on her hip as the right held up her treasure.

"Right before my family moved to Pallet, our doctor told me I was gonna need glasses. We were too busy with setting up our new house for the first few weeks, but last Saturday my daddy took me out to buy a pair! He even said I was grown up enough to pick them out myself!"

Held above the girl's head were the aforementioned spectacles. Striking orange frames encased rectangular shaped lenses, the edges fading into a yellow gradient along the sides. The temples were decorated with several images of the Chick Pokemon, Torchic, running all the way down to the tips. Sitting atop the bridge was a small replica of the Pokemon's signature crown, three feathers of yellow proudly jutting outward. May quickly slipped the eyewear onto her face before continuing.

"Torchic's my absolute favorite Pokemon, so I grabbed these the moment I saw them! When I go outside the parts over my eyes go dark like sunglasses, and then turn back to normal whenever I come back inside! I think my daddy called then 'transition lenses'. They even glow in the dark!"

Her blue eyes glittered with anticipation as she waited for the approval of her classmates. Brock was the first to react by blowing an impressed whistle.

"Well, that certainly is exciting! And I have to say, those glasses look amazing on you, May! You've definitely got an eye for fashion." The brunette beamed at the compliment, a dust of pink fluttering across her cheeks. Before she had a chance to thank their teacher, however, a voice responded for her.

"Are you kidding me, Mr. Harrison? That's the dorkiest thing I've ever seen!"

All eyes turned to the voice's owner; a boy with fluffy, mahogany colored hair and a sneer to rival the most stuck up royal. He wore a loose deep purple shirt with an orange trim along the bottom, and fitted black jeans. Around his neck hung a yellow and green charm. The boy stood from his chair, giving May his biggest smirk, before launching another insult.

"Everyone knows only weirdos wear glasses, but those are the lamest ones I've ever seen! What's with those dumb feathers on the front? And don't get me started on the Torchics!" The boy threw a finger at the dumbfounded May before doubling over in laughter. "Those look like they're for babies!"

One snicker. Two. Soon the entire class joined in on the boy's assault on May's eyewear, falling out of their seats while laughing and adding their own hurtful descriptions to the mix.

May was too stunned to react at first. The shop owner had showered her with compliments when she picked out the frames, saying he had never seen anything so cute. Both of her parents had spent the day telling her how good they looked on her, with her mother even throwing an impromptu photoshoot for her in their new garden. Heck, even Drew, her egocentric best friend back in Hoenn, had given her sincere approval the first time she video chatted him with the glasses in tow.

Suddenly hot tears began pooling around the sides of her eyes. The brunette did her best to blink them away, but the constant stream of teasing from her classmates broke the dam. Embarrassment, shame, regret; these emotions and more lit her face on fire as she fought back sobs at the front of the class.

"Gary Oak! We don't talk to each other like that, especially with someone new!"

Gary turned his attention to Brock, who had finally recovered from the outburst, with a scoff. "Well maybe Weirdo here shoulda brought something actually worth showing off."

The scowl on Brock's face deepened as he rose from his chair.

"That's it! March over to Professor Oak's office right now. I'll be sending him a call over what just happened here and will be meeting you shortly."

The boy's demeanor quickly changed from smug to fear. "G-gramps' place? Wait, Mr. Harrison! Don't tell him! I don't wanna get grounded!"

Ignoring the boy's plea, the tanned teacher walked to his desk and lifted the receiver of his phone. "Well, you should have thought of that before saying what you did." Brock gave the boy one more disapproving frown before dialing the professor's number. "Now don't make me repeat myself. We'll both be talking with you soon. And as for the rest of you, we're ending show and tell here this month. Take out your math workbooks, and turn to page 57. The rest of the afternoon is going to be quiet study hall."

A collective shout of opposition began to rise, but was effectively shut down with one glare from the angered man. A few seconds went by before all of the children sighed, reaching beneath their desks for their supplies. Gary shot May one more look of annoyance before stomping his way into the hallway, leaving a loud 'BANG' of the door behind him as left.

Unable to do anything but drag herself back to her desk. May sunk low into the chair before laying her head down. As the class settled into an uncomfortable silence, the only thing anyone could hear were her choked sobs. Everyone felt it too weird to try and console her at this point, so they all threw their focus onto the assigned classwork.

All except a pair of troubled auburn eyes.

**-x-**

"Ugh, stupid Gary! Stupid glasses! Stupid show and tell!"

The remainder of the school day trudged on painfully slow, no one daring to make a sound after watching Gary's punishment. A sigh of relief washed across the students as the sweet bell of freedom finally rung, releasing them from the choking silence. Everyone quickly shoved their belongings into their bags before gathering into groups of friends, amiable chatter filling the air as they all began the trek home.

May had waited for the others to leave before she shot up and ran out of the classroom, not stopping when Brock tried to console her. She kept her head low and continued the dash for about half a mile before stopping to catch her breath under a tree a little ways outside the school grounds. The embarrassment she felt earlier in the day came back in the form of rage as she kicked at the fallen leaves underneath, streaks of brown fluttering through the air.

"Why did we move here?! I wanna go back home, back to Hoenn!"

"Hey, uh... May?"

The soft voice behind her instantly made her freeze. What, were those kids back to pick on her again now that they were out of Brock's sight? May held her gaze down on the ground, staring at the mess of strewn leaves in front of her as she balled her hands into tiny fists.

"W-what more do you guys want...? Just go away!"

She heard a surprised gasp leave the child behind her, immediately followed by the crunch of leaves at their approach.

"Woah, woah! No way am I one of those jerks! " The voice was a few inches behind her at this point. A few seconds passed before the child reached out and placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. This shot a searing heat through May's body, her breath hitching in her throat. Instantly she twisted out of the stranger's grip, and turned to face them as poison dripped from her voice.

"Don't touch me!"

No way would she let these kids get the better of her just because no adults were around. Dropping into a defensive stance, May held her fists out and glared a silent challenge to the child in front of her.

There stood a tanned boy with messy raven hair shooting in every direction. He wore a dark green polo with a stripe of yellow running across his midsection. Covering his legs were faded black jeans bunched around white sneakers scuffed from rough outdoor play.

The boy was currently holding his arms up as he leaned back from the battle ready May. Confusion mixed with a bit of fear adorned his features, his eyes wide at her apparent readiness to fight.

"W-wait, hold on! I swear I'm not here to tease you! Please don't hurt me; my mom said I shouldn't fight girls!"

May scoffed, but slightly relaxed her stance at his words. "Sounds to me like you're afraid of getting beat up."

"Wh- hey! Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am n- ugh, wait! This isn't what I wanted to talk about!"

The boy closed his eyes in frustration as he ran a hand through his wild locks. "Look, I saw what happened today, and wanted to say don't let it get to ya. Gary's nothing but a bully." Deciding he had enough with tangling up his fingers, the boy opened his once more and focused on May, hands coming to rest at his hips.

"I thought your glasses were super cool! Do they really glow in the dark?!"

A flash of confusion and distrust rippled across the brunette's face. This definitely wasn't what she was expecting after the day's earlier fiasco. She finally straightened her posture, but kept her eyes locked on the strange boy.

"Maybe... what about it? Who are you anyway?"

The boy gave her a quick blink before realization sparked in his eyes, one of his fists bouncing in the outstretched palm of his other hand.

"Oh yeah! I guess it has only been a lil' bit since you got here. You probably don't know everyone in class yet." With that, he extended his right hand as a bright smile spread across his face. "My name's Ash! Ash Ketchum. You actually moved into the house next to mine."

May looked at his hand, to his face, and back again. This Ash kid didn't seem like the others who laughed at her in class. But even so, the pain from earlier kept her rooted in place and she found herself unable to return the gesture.

Ash, seeing that she wasn't going to move, awkwardly let his arm dangle back to his side. A hint of unease wormed his way into those large auburn eyes, and May felt a trickle of regret at being its cause.

A few seconds seemed to be all he needed to dig up the previous cheery disposition though as he regarded the Hoenn native with another smile. "Hey, no worries. I'd be pretty sore too if that happened to me. But I mean it when I say your glasses are awesome! You're so lucky! I wish I could wear them too; I would totally get a pair with Pikachu all over! They're my absolute favorite Pokemon!"

The glasses... May gingerly reached up as Ash continued to ramble on, and ran her fingers along the topic of discussion. Slowly, everything she felt during class came back to the surface. The embarrassment. The hurt. The hopelessness as she watched her classmates tear her down.

She suddenly ripped off the glasses and chucked them at Ash, who had been busy ranting about how a well trained Pikachu could take on any Raichu. The boy, caught off guard, let out an "oof" of surprise as the spectacles bounced off his chest. May took his fumbling as the perfect chance to escape, turning on her heels and dashing off in the direction of her home.

"Wh- May, wait! Your glasses!" He yelled out, finally grabbing hold of them and frantically waving the pair in her direction.

"Keep them if you think they're so great! I don't want 'em anymore!"

Realizing she wasn't going to turn around, Ash's arms slowed their flaps until they hung lifeless in the air. He reluctantly brought them back to his sides, casting a glance at the tossed treasure, and sighed.

"Gary, you jerk..."

**-x-**

"Hey mom, I'm back."

"Welcome home, sweetie! I'm in the kitchen."

Ash haphazardly kicked off his sneakers at the entrance of his house before following the smell of dinner to the kitchen. Everything that weighed on his mind just served to make him more hungry than usual. After all, how can you expect to think on an empty stomach?

He rounded the corner to find his mom standing over the stove, stirring what looked to be a giant pot of stew.

Delia broke away from the task to give her son a quick hug. "How was your day, Ash?"

Ash shrugged before walking over to the dinner table, tossing his bag on the floor and sliding into the chair closest to the kitchen. "S'alright til Gary ruined show and tell with his stupid face."

"Ash Ketchum, we've talked about this before! I don't want to hear you saying things like that about other people."

"S'true though." he muttered back, holding his head in one hand while he focused his attention on the orange glasses in the other.

Delia was ready to scold him again when the eyewear caught her attention. "Oh? Where did you get those?"

Ash held his gaze for a moment more before looking back at his mother. "I'm holding them... for a friend. She forgot them at school." His attention turned back to the glasses as he finished addressing her, thoughtful contemplation etching its way into his eyes.

Any feelings of irritation at Ash's language were soon washed away as Delia watched him fiddle with the frames. She watched the boy for a second longer before turning back to the stew with a soft smile.

"A friend, huh? You'll have to bring her by sometime. She's got good taste; those glasses are adorable."

Ash spun his attention back to the kitchen as a huge grin broke across his face. "I know, right?! They're so cool! I want some too!"

"Sweetie, you know your eyesight is too good for that." The boy's immediate groan of protest pulled a giggle from his mother. "Just make sure you take care of them tonight and give them back to your friend tomorrow. I'm sure she's missing them right now."

"Yeah, yeah I know..."

A comfortable silence settled over the Ketchum household as both mother and son went back to their respective activities. Delia began humming to herself as she put the finishing touches to the stew, while Ash preoccupied himself with staring at the orange spectacles. All at once, an idea of how to return them to their owner sprung into his head. The more he thought of the plan, the more he could feel that goofy grin plastering itself back onto his face. He looked up as his mother brought over their dinner, a determined twinkle dancing across his eyes.

"Hey Mom, do you know where my costume from last Halloween is?"

**-x-**

The morning sun made it's slow ascent over the sleepy town of Pallet, hues of pink and orange laid out in salutation. Chatter among the bird Pokemon floated on the wind as a wake up call to sleepy inhabitants. May called out a final goodbye to her parents as she closed the door of their home. A grimace settled on her face; they had questioned her all night about her obviously dampened mood and, even worse, immediately asked where her glasses were. It had easy to dodge the topic of her mood with the lie that lunch hurt the girl's stomach, but the glasses issue would need to be solved tonight before the two became too involved.

Tugging on the right side of her bangs with a sigh, May began the trek over to the Pokemon Academy. How in the world was she going to deal with class today?

Just as she rounded the corner from the front yard gate leading to the main road, an excited shout broke her from her thoughts.

"May! Hey, May! Wait up!"

Ash quickly closed the gap between the two, landing next to the girl with a loud thud. He gave her his signature goofy smile in greeting.

"G'morning! Told ya we lived right next to each other. Let's walk to school together!"

All May could do was give a blank stare to the peppy boy. Not only should it be illegal to have that much energy this early in the day, but his current choice in eyewear shut down whatever coherent thoughts she could make.

Sitting on Ash's face were possibly the most bizarre goggles she had ever seen. Thick, black rims framed red, circular lenses. The bottoms of the frames had three squares similar to eyelashes, while the top held two spear-like antennas. They jutted away from one another in the shape of a V, the ends accented with small tetrahedrons that brushed against his wild hair.

To say May was confused was an understatement. Another minute passed between the two in silence before Ash waved his hand in front of the unresponsive girl.

"Helloooo, Earth to May? You in there?"

Finally breaking out of her trance, May blinked at her companion a few times.

"Er... what're you wearing?"

"Oh, these? They're part of a Hoothoot costume my mom made me for Halloween last year!" Ash began to flap his arms and run circles around May as he continued. "Get this; mom made the whole thing herself! We used some swimming goggles I had laying around and added all the extra stuff on top!"

May was silent for a few more seconds as she listened to Ash before a giggle bubbled up in her chest. Before long, a cascade of laughter brought her to the ground. She grasped her sides and rolled around on the lifeless grass, tears pricking the sides of her eyes.

"Those things are huge on you!"

Ash felt his heart soar at the sound of her outburst before striking a superhero pose. "Well, duh! They gotta have big eyes to see everything at night in the forest!"

The brunette pulled herself into a sitting position, ripples of snickers still running down her sides, before pointing a finger at Ash.

"Okay, if you're really a Hoothoot, show me your best Wing Attack!"

The boy gave a determined "Hoot!" before spreading his arms out and running along the roadside bushes. What little leaves clung to the brambles were tossed into the air at his assault.

"Confusion!"

Ash skidded to a stop as he faced May. His fingers came to his temples and his face twisted into intense concentration. Using his foot, the boy kicked a few pebbles towards his playmate as a cover for the Psychic move.

"End it with Peck!"

Shooting the girl a mischievous smirk, Ash dashed back over to her side with his arms extended outward once more. Immediately after reaching her, he started throwing his face onto her shoulders in mock attack.

Soon both children were on the ground in hysterics. Minutes passed before their laughs began to die down to snickers, each giving the other a grin as they righted themselves once more. Ash was the first to speak.

"Seeing your glasses yesterday was what reminded me of this, y'know. Now we can match!"

The mention of her source of conflict instantly made May frown. She sighed, hugging her knees to her chest.

"You heard what everyone said yesterday; I look weird with those things. They'll just make fun of you, too."

A scoff made her look up at the boy once more. "Who cares what they think? Y'know they probably only said that stuff because Gary did. Everyone thinks he's so cool when they only thing he can even talk about is himself!" Ash threw his arms up in exasperation to drive the last point home, earning a giggle from May. "I bet he was just jealous at how great you look with 'em on!"

May's cheeks tinged pink at the praise. "Thanks, Ash..." she stopped to sigh before balancing her head on her knees and addressing him again. "But I threw the glasses down yesterday, so it's not like it matters."

Remembering her outburst at the tree yesterday made the girl grab her head in frustration. "Ughhh, I bet they're all cracked now, too. My parents are gonna kill me if they see that!"

"Oh, don't worry!" Ash reached around into the front pouch of his backpack, proudly producing the aforementioned glasses wrapped in a soft cloth. "I took them home after you left yesterday, and my mom helped me take care of 'em!"

Ash then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he offered the eyewear to their rightful owner. "I actually tried them on for a bit, but they kinda gave me a headache. Good thing, I guess. Mom said orange really isn't my color."

Both children laughed as May reached over to reclaim her treasure. Gingerly setting them on her face, she turned back to Ash. Her teeth worried her bottom lip as she nervously spoke.

"So... how do I look?"

May felt her face heat up as another of Ash's trademark grins sparkled across his face, the boy's auburn eyes dancing with excitement.

"Just as fantastic as yesterday!" He quickly hopped off the ground, dusting off his jeans from their play session, before extending a hand toward May. "C'mon, we better get going if we wanna make to the academy before the first bell."

The brunette flashed an appreciative smile before taking his hand, the former hoisting her off the ground. Ash gave her a small squeeze, not dropping her hand as he turned the two towards the path to school.

"Hey, do you wanna come over later? My mom said it'd be okay. I can show you the rest of my Hoothoot costume!"

"Okay! I think I still have my old costume around our house; I was a Squirtle last year."

Ash's face lit up at her acceptance. "Great! We can play Pokemon battles in my backyard then!"

Excited chatter followed the two as they discussed what to do after school, the soft crunch of grass and leaves filling any gaps in conversation. The sun had all but completely risen at this point, the sky's colors a dance of blue and yellow. Nothing could compare to the ray of light in front of her though, May thought, as the two laughed at another of Ash's jokes.

Maybe Pallet wouldn't be so bad.

**-X-**

**Hi! I've been so long since I've any fanfiction, haha. Had to remake my account because I forgot the password to the other v **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the oneshot! Advanceshipping seems to be so rare nowadays, so I wanna try bringing some life back to it on FF. More will be coming soon!**


End file.
